The Passage of Spring

Spring has officially arrived in Hong Kong, but with temperatures dipping to their lowest in more than a decade, there is still time to ‘enjoy’ this wintry conditions before warmer weather settles in. Still, it seems perfect that Roaming Backpack’s first gallery is all about spring and flowery blossoms.

I spent much of my childhood in Singapore – 15 years, to be precise. For much of that time, I knew of only 2 seasons: hot and hotter (or rainy and rainier, depending on who you talk to). Growing up in the tropics made me more sensitive towards different seasons, and I developed a fondness for living in places with seasonal variations.

For one, it’s really romantic. I can’t imagine a more pleasurable experience than blooming flowers and crisp birdsong in spring, or enjoying summer’s incessant sunshine, or strolling under a canopy of falling leaves in autumn, or enjoying winter’s first snowfall. Each season’s passing brings about a sense of anticipation for change – change that’s pleasantly predictable.

The Passage of Spring portrays the romanticism of seasonal change. This series features one particular cherry tree along sakuragaoka-dōri ( 桜ヶ丘通り) in Hakodate, Japan, in 2013. Due to the city’s northerly location, spring was just settling in and the cherry flowers were budding on the first day. But upon returning the next day, this one tree was in full bloom – a joyous pleasure especially since no other trees on the street were blooming; later, I learnt that this tree is always the first to blossom each season. It’s a glorious testimony of nature and its designs.